Seymour Hendrickson
Seymour Hendrickson is the current leader of the Swallow Hills Militia, the latest and perhaps most controversial in the town of Swallow Hills. Hendrickson has become known as one of the "friends" of the large businesses and ranches in and around Swallow Hills and has become a firm favourite amongst the richer of Swallow Hills, many times being accused of using the town's militia as a private force to aid the Brahmin ranchers and rarely aiding the town itself. Biography Born in 2240, in Swallow Hills, Hendrickson was born into a dysfunctional family where his father was a rough-housing alcoholic, and his mother passed away in 2243 when he was aged only three years old. To avoid his father's drunken tirades, Hendrickson took to two things; violence against those weaker than himself. His father enforced his late mother's habit of ensuring that Hendrickson self-taught himself through reading over old school books. However, unlike his mother, his father didn't dictate which books should be read, meaning that Hendrickson took to reading only a specific variety of books; namely, those espousing "patriotic American values" and a vitriolic hatred of Communism. Hendrickson began to equate Communism to weakness, thus beginning to see Communism in the victims of his bullying. When he reached the age of 18, his father now long dead from almost constant drinking, Hendrickson's patriotic zeal of the long dead United States of America made him believe that it was a form of duty to the now forgotten US that he join the local militia of the town. His first year spent in the militia as a Conscript filled him with rage as he watched the bloated and genuinely ineffectual and weak militia struggled under its own weight. By the time Hendrickson had been automatically ranked up to Private, he became determined to reform the militia, and set about trying to prove himself as a capable soldier. This naturally meant not only a genuine amount of heroism, namely in quasi-suicidal charges against Feral Ghouls, Raiders, Bandits and even Red Eyes, but also a hefty amount of schmoozing up to his superior officers. Reaching the rank of Sergeant within two years of becoming Private, he had caught the eye of many influential individuals. Painting himself as a libertarian, Hendrickson argued against taxation on big business, carefully omitting any rejection of taxing poorer citizens. Impressed, many ranchers endorsed him, forcing their workers to do so, whilst also helping his campaign to become the newest Captain of the Guard. In 2265, Hendrickson was elected as Captain of the Guard at the age of 25. Within a few months, Hendrickson had begun to, in his own words, "root out Communist influences", insisting that socialism had ruined Swallow Hills. Many militiamen lost their jobs, due to Hendrickson reducing the amount of militiamen in service and setting up a standard number of active militiamen to be maintained at all times, who were then forced to find work elsewhere, either bitterly settling in as ranchhands on a meagre pittance or turning to Raider gangs to substitute their loss of income. The regular campaigns then held against the Raiders were ceased, mostly due to the lack of numbers for sustained campaigns against the newly rejuvenated Raider and Bandit clans, now led by the brutal and sadistic Lucan Seville and his almost fanatical lieutenants, in favor of protecting large ranches and big businesses. When criticism emerged of this, Hendrickson simply dismissed the talk as Communist propaganda, continuing to rub shoulders with the rich and the powerful, making the right friends and further alienating numerous people, unwittingly allowing breathing room for Lucan's forces, laughing at any scorn thrown at him. In short, not Chairman Cheng's cup of tea. Personality A staunchly libertarian and authoritarian figure, Hendrickson attempts to give the impression of a charismatic, man-of-the-people figure who can sympathize with what he considers the "common folk", the regular residents of the town. Hendrickson is often quite open about his distaste for socialism or altruism in any form, thanks to his childhood spent reading about the threat of Communism and the various generalizations about socialism and altruism, and often times dismisses any criticism of his actions as socialist and, more often, Communist propaganda. At times, he also bases his more publicized persona off of pre-war political pundits, even plagiarizing some of the more famous figures' quotes and passing them off as his own. Equipment *'.38 Caliber Revolver, "Luisa": '''A modified revolver with an expanded ammunition capacity and range modifier, christened ''"Luisa" ''by Hendrickson, the revolver is a firm favourite of his and is what is often considered his pride and joy, with Hendrickson exclaiming that it is his ''"badass-baby". *'Reinforced Leather Armour:' A black jumpsuit, with leather and metal plates sewn or welded into the jacket respectively, serves as Hendrickson's main apparel and Hendrickson is rarely seen without this apparel, enhancing what he considers his "frontiersman" persona. Swallow Hills Revolver Luisa.png Category:Characters Category:New California Republic